No More Mind Games
by loveable-M
Summary: [OC] Everything started with the bus hijacking. If I wasn’t going to Spaceland, if didn’t see the monster in the back of the bus, then I would have never been involved with the Kira case.
1. Page 1 : Murder on TV

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, nor a Death Note. But I have bought the first volume and I do own my OC, Suzuki Tsukiko, and the plot in this story.

0o0o0o0

Everything started with the bus hijacking. If I wasn't going to Spaceland, if didn't see the monster in the back of the bus, then I would have never been involved with the Kira case.

0o0o0o0

No More Mind Games

Chapter 1 – Murder on TV

Today was supposed to be fun. I had just graduated from public high school. Correction, I just survived Japanese public high school. Nothing can prepare the amount of stress one has to go through in order to meet Japanese standards, not even the Japanese can.

So, to say the least, I am happy it's all over. The only thing left to study is college entrance exams, which I am not thinking about until I'm done having fun. Ignorance is bliss as they say.

In fact, I think I deserve it. Not for all the hard work I put in this school year but for my own enjoyment. That's not too much to ask for, is it? Complaining doesn't help one damn bit but it makes me feel better and I just want everything to be normal again.

My weekend was completely planned to perfection. Absolutely nothing can go wrong

….or so I thought.

0o0o0o

**December 20, 2003 - 8:45 am (4 hours ago)**

Normally, I get up at the crack of dawn. I have to if I want to be at school on time. But today was the start of my perfect weekend. That meant I get to sleep in if I want to.

I slowly blinked my eyes open to the dimmed light filling the room and stretched my body as I still laid on my futon. Throwing the covers off me and hopping out of bed, I looked around my tiny apartment.

It wasn't much but it was mine. The old apartment was like any other traditional Japanese room in the area. But mine was the cheapest I could find that didn't seem too hazardous to my health. I only had one room that served as everything that I needed to get by. It is my bedroom, kitchen, dining room, and study all rolled up into one. Practical, really. The toilet is just down the hall that is shared by everyone on this floor.

I pushed aside my futon and made my way over to the glass paned window on the other side of my room, careful to not step on any clothes or books I had not bothered to put away.

Cold December morning air swept into my room as I unhooked and dragged the window across the wall and moved the curtains as well. I leaned over to breathe in the fresh air.

The morning rush was almost over as far as I could see. The town folk went about their daily business, people walking down the streets carrying briefcases and holding their breakfast in their free hand, waiting for buses or trains to take them to Tokyo. Some had already opened shop, yelling out to the public to bring more customers in.

Hearing the random sounds of the crowd, the car horns blaring, and my neighbor's door shutting, I closed my eyes just for a moment to let the morning sink in. I took a deep breathe and slowly sighed.

Looks normal, doesn't it?

The matter of the fact is that something weird _is_ going on with the world right now. I mean, the world is already weird but in Japan…. Things are too close to home.

Lately, criminals around the world have been dying from heart attacks. At first, it didn't seem like a problem. Things like that happen but not all around the same time frame! It didn't matter if they were caught or still running from the police; they all died with the same cause of death.

And most were high class criminals that done some of the most infamous crimes. A good number of people have heard about at lease one of these criminals. So, when word got around that these famous criminals just up and croaked, people wondered if this was a coincidence or not.

Was it murder? Was it murder that killed a death row inmate or a violent criminal? Maybe a mass assassination done out by a large organization or maybe no one at all?

By then, it was all over the news. This was the top story on every network and station. And it was slowly getting out of proportion. Media reports still refer this as "The series of deaths among the world's criminals". It is even rumored that Interpol had called a meeting to discuss this very problem. Dozens of sites on the web popped up, speculating what is causing these deaths.

On one particular site, they call the killer, **Kira**. He is their savior.

He is the one killing the criminals. He is a messenger from Hell who will destroy the Presence of Evil in this world. He is passing righteous judgment on them. Basically, he is like their new god on the internet or something. It's pretty much all bull anyway.

Then a few days ago, a live broadcast was shown around the world. Some one was finally going to do something about this.

I was watching old reruns of Naruto when a man named Lind L. Tailor suddenly appeared on the TV. He wore a suit with a tie and looked directly at the camera. He was speaking in English and had a Japanese translator voice over. He spoke into the microphone in front of him saying he was "L" and he can mobilize any police force in the world.

Like I give a damn! Naruto was just about to throw a kunai to save Kakashi from Zabuza's water prison and I was missing it. Annoyed at the moment, I grabbed the remote beside me and changed the channel.

"What the hell?" I said in disbelief. "It's on all the stations!" Quickly flipping through the channels, I saw the same guy staring right back at me.

"Damn it!" I yelled at the TV, dropping the remote to the floor.

"I therefore request that the investigation be headquartered in Japan," Lind L. Tailor stated from the TV. That got my attention. I listened to him speak English, completing ignoring the Japanese. _Why_ _Japan? _I thought to myself, now completely absorbed to what this man was saying. "Criminals have been the target of a killing spree which has turned into the biggest mass murder case in history."

"This monstrous crime must be stopped at all costs. "Kira," as the perpetrator is commonly known, will be caught. I guarantee it." Lind L. Tailor calmly spoke out, his eyes silently shifting as if he was reading a teleprompter. "Kira. I think I've got a pretty good idea of why you're doing this. But what you are doing…

…**is evil!" **Lind L. Tailoryelled at the people watching. He paused and calmed himself, with his soft tone, he talked again. "Police worldwide have launched a coordinated investigation." He stopped to take a deep breath and was about to start again when he clutched his chest. Lind L. Tailor cried out in pain, slumped over his desk, and completely stopped moving. I moved in closer to see.

Then what I saw, what I will always see, a thin, almost transparent vapor rose from his back. It took the form of the body, Lind L. Tailor, and hovered over the body. It was Lind L. Tailor's soul. He had died. Live on television no less. I saw him **die **on television. "What the…" I was cut off.

"I…I don't believe it…" A different voice said on the TV. _Me either_ I agreed inside my head. Lind L. Tailor body was carried off the screen and his ghost followed.

The voice said that this was an experiment to test a hunch he had, but never really thought… that Kira could kill people without direct contact. I couldn't believe what I was watching with my own eyes.

The voice told Kira to listen to him and said that if Kira just killed Lind L. Tailor, the man on TV, he was a condemned criminal scheduled to die that day. His arrest and conviction was kept from the media and the internet. Even Interpol was unreported. So Kira had no way of knowing about him.

"But I, **L**, do in fact exist." The voice who was the real L then egged Kira on. "So, come on! Kill me if you can! What are you waiting for?" My eyes glued to the tube, I unintentionally held my breath.

"I'm still here. Can't do it, Kira?" L taunted. "So there are people you can't kill. That's a valuable clue. Now I'll give you some information, in return."

It had been announced that the broadcast was being televised globally but actually, it was only in the Kanto region around Tokyo. L was going broadcast in other areas but Kira _is_ in the Kanto region. L even figured out Kira's first victim was the Shinjuku killer who took 8 people hostage in a nursery school. That case was only in Japan.

I think I remember hearing about that. L went so far to say that Kira was just testing his powers at that time.

Kanto is the most populated region but finding Kira there was just pure luck and my bad luck.

"I didn't expect this work so perfectly, but … it may not be so long before I sent you to die." L told to Kira. "Kira, it would interest me to know how you carry out your murders but that's something I can find out after I catch you."

"Kira, I'm going to find and dispose of you, if it's the last thing I do!! **I'm justice!**"L yelled directly to Kira, stating to the rest of the world that this will happen. "Till we meet again, Kira."

The screen went to static. And I gasped for breath, finally exhaling.

What does all of this have to do with me?

Not a damn thing.

I shivered as the cold started to completely wake me up and bring me back to reality. Turning around, I looked at the amount of junk I still had to clean up.

_Stop daydreaming, Tsukiko. _I thought to myself. _You have work to do._

A/N: Until next time, readers. Hope you enjoyed it and review this chapter, please!!

-Mandy


	2. Page 2 : The wheels on the bus go ‘round

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, or a Death Note. I have 4 volumes of Death Note though and my OC,Suzuki Tsukiko.

0o0o0o0

Everything started with the bus hijacking. If I wasn't going to Spaceland, if didn't see the monster in the back of the bus, then I would have never been involved with the Kira case.

0o0o0o0

No More Mind Games

Chapter 2 – The wheels on the bus go 'round.

0o0o0o0

**December 20, 2003 – 9:45 (3 hours ago)**

**At my apartment **

It took about an hour but I cleaned up everything instead of waiting until I got in one of my cleaning moods. I wanted to have less work to do tonight and not crash on the futon, falling asleep the moment my head hits the pillow, like I did last night.

After folding up my futon and storing it in a closet, I slid open my other closet full of haphazardly thrown clothes, shoes, and pretty much anything else I wear. Moving aside some out grown school uniforms hung up, I picked an old pair of underwear and some socks from the bottom of a pile of what I assumed were clean clothes.

Lastly, I yanked a random t-shirt and pair of jeans that I grabbed from the back and stuffed them in my washing pail.

"Where did I put my shampoo?" I said to myself as I looked around the room.

A tiny flash of light caught my eye; I immediately walked over to the TV that I put on top of my little refrigerator. I bent down to examine the shoe box beside it on the floor. Another spark of light came from the box as I held it up to lift open the lid. All my necessities were in there.

I chuckled to myself. I constantly forget where things are like where the remote is, where I left my keys, things like that. I'm a pretty forgetful person unless I'm paying attention which isn't always the case.

It isn't something I can change. I daydream, or "zone out" as my mother used to say, I can't help if it's my personality. 'It's the way I am.' I find things eventually by what I call my _ItemFinder_ technique.

I either say what I want to find or think of it inside my head and a spark of light flashes where the object is or in the direction of. Although, I think it is easier if I say it out loud and if the object or thing is nearby. I may even have to repeat my question/phrase or say it differently and look around until I spot something but I always have to picture the object in my mind's eye.

Of course, _ItemFinder_ has its limitations on what I can and cannot find which I discover something new everyday. Concentrating and focusing on clearing the mind makes finding things faster but it's hard to do, at least for me anyway. My mind doesn't know how to shut up.

I guess that could be a problem. Oh…well.

I gathered what else I needed and through it into the pail. Holding the pail in one hand and snatching my purse hanging by the door, I walked into the hallway, locking and closing the door behind me.

When I reached the end of the hall, I dropped my pail and purse beside me as I opened the shoe cabinet in the entrance hall and saw my school boots. I sat down on the floor to put on my worn down shoes, humming a little as worked the shoestrings.

I stood up when I finished, not leaving my things behind, walked out of the apartment complex and into the narrow street. I glanced at my watch. It read 10:05.

That was plenty of time to head over to the public bath house and back home in time to catch the bus. With that decided, my feet led me down the street to the crowded road and on my way to a good soaking.

0o0o0o0

I guess I never properly introduced myself. Suzuki Tsukiko is my name here. In Japan, my first name is my last name. I also go by Tsuki-chan by my friends. 

I am 165cm tall and I weight about 100kg, truthfully. That 5"6'and 220 lbs. in American terms. I'm taller than most girls in my school but I'm also one of the biggest. My classmates are mostly small skinny girls and boys, unless they're in some sporting club. Putting stereotypes aside, most of my class looked the same considering their height, body frames, their black hair and eyes, and overall appearance was alike. The matching school uniforms didn't help either.

I was born on July 7, 1986, so that would make me 17 years old right now. I was a raising senior in high school at Hibiya High School, which was considered the "best public high school in Japan" in its prime. Although I had already graduated, I had met the principal, Nagasawa-sensei, only in formal occasions like on graduation day and such. I stayed out of trouble because I have my reasons. Reasons that only I need to know.

'_It's the way I am' _has been my personal statement to describe myself and what I do. I don't question things like that anymore; I just accept it and move on. I'm not like most people that know of or seen. I never encountered someone who can do what I do…well, in the real world sense, not in fiction.

I communicate with the dead. To keep it simple, my five senses are attuned to the dead as much as the living.

Now before I get into a rant on cool and cliché it may sound to many people, the whole seeing-the-dead thing is a pain in the ass. Really, I am not joking. It's not worth having at all, in my experience; this has brought on too much trouble and stress for me to deal with.

I had to become an open-minded person to really not question why I can do these things. And yeah, ….then there is the 'Not-human' question that I have struggled with my entire life.

Am I human? I believe a part of me is while the other part of me is something else altogether. I given up looking for answers and came up with my own conclusion that

I don't care anymore.

I have more important things to worry about like real life. I got a new life when I came to Japan and it has been the greatest thing I have ever done for myself. I quit being my old self and became 17 year old Suzuki Tsukiko who doesn't see ghosts or anything out of the ordinary.

Now Tsukiko is going toward the bath house where she will stop referring herself in third person. Hopefully.

OoOoO

**At the bath house**

This particular bath house, or _Sentō_, is what I would see in an Anime and what I had idealized before I came to Japan. While the traditional _sentō_ are in decline, this is a perfect area for a bath house. Some emphasize their tradition and run traditionally-designed bath houses on request for clients seeking the lost Japan Era like I have. That and not many people have indoor baths in their apartments so they must come here.

I saw the entrance ahead of me. Avoiding random pedestrians, I walked to the other side of the street and ducked down into the doorway. A young lady stood against the wall reading a magazine behind the counter, flipping a page, not paying attention to me a walked to her.

"Excuse me," I whispered in her direction as I spoke Japanese. "May I have the Saturday Special, please?"

She looked up in surprise and a grin spread across her face as she rubbed the back of her hair with a hand. "Welcome! Good Morning! A Saturday Special you say?" She looked over to the broad across the desk. "That will be 300 yen, ma'am. Is that all for today?"

"Yes," I said to her as I grabbed my wallet out of my purse. "And could have some extra towels, please?" The counter lady bent down, I assumed, to get my towels. The 300 yen clanked on the counter as I put them down at the same time the lady popped back up and handed the towels to me.

"Thank you." I told her and walked to the women side, pushing the reddish colored flap door with the kanji for woman away from me. _Good, I'm the only one here. _I thought to myself. _No one comes around at this hour. I'm all by myself. _

I chose a locker closer to the baths to put my shoes and clothes in. I started to undress and slip out of my dirty clothes, putting those clothes in the other locker below it. Slipping off my underwear, I was completely naked while I swiftly picked up my washing pail to walk over to the faucets. Passing a full length mirror and some baby beds, I halted.

I faced the mirror to look at myself. I didn't look Japanese; I looked more like foreigner. Brown eyes stared back at me. I took a good long look. Brown wavy hair which curled at the ends went past my shoulders. Broad shoulders supported the size of my breasts. The middle was what I call a "love roll" and I had a couple of them. Though I had more flab than muscle, I knew I had strong calf legs by the look of them and big feet by the size of them, too.

But that wasn't the most apparent thing of my body. The multiple numbers of scars and scratch marks that would not fade were scattered across my entire body. None were self- inflicted, of course. A testament of all my work on the field, per se. The largest scar ran across my side; the one with the biggest story behind it.

My right index finger traced that scar from top to bottom, gently to remember what my past was. I shook my head to bring me back to reality and before I could self indulge into depression. Sitting down on the nearest stool, I turned the hot water faucet and got down to work.

After I scrubbed and rinsed my body, I soaked a wash cloth in cold water and placed on top of my head. Clean enough for the baths; I slipped into the water with a relieving sigh. I made myself comfortable and laid my head back, careful not to drop my cloth.

A mural of Mount Fuji was painted on the wall as well as a general Japanese landscape. I begin to feel relaxed enough to fall asleep when I heard people on the other side of the separating wall. I couldn't help but to over hear what they said.

"….it happened on Live TV, Ando-kun." Said the first voice to the second named Ando. "The Media won't replay it but it's all over the web. **Kira** really tried to kill **L**. I'm telling you it's all real."

"But, Hiro-kun, what if this all made up by the police who are killing the criminals." Said Ando, the second voice, to Hiro, the first voice. "I don't think one person is doing all this."

The sound of water running filled the other side of the room, blocking the voices of the people inside. I could barely make out what they were saying as they started to wash themselves. Opened my eyes to see the counter lady sitting on top of a Bandai, a rectangular shaped platform with a railing, watching out for "Peeping Toms" in here.

Having soaked enough to turn into a human raisin, I slowly got out of the tub to dry and towel off. Getting dressed in clean clothes, I heard the men on the other side talking again.

"Have you ever heard of a detective called **L**? I never have." One of the men asked.

"He is supposed to be a famous world detective who works on his own solving whatever interests him." Answered a voice back. "But, Ando-kun, L is real because he is the only one to openly challenge Kira besides the NPA."

"I still think this is all a cover up story, Hiro-kun," Retorted Ando. _That is a possibility. _I thought to myself. _L could even be Kira himself and no one would be the wiser. _

"L is a real hero to stand up to all this." Hiro declared as his voice became louder. "He isn't a comic book character like SpiderMan…"

"Please, keep you voice down in the bathing area! Thank You." Yelled out the counter lady turned bath attendant at the men's side.

They promptly shut up. And I finished getting dressed, putting everything in my washing pail. Clutching my purse, I nodded to the attendant when I passed her by. She smiled at me with a "please come again" as I walked out into the street.

The surrounding cold air cooled me down as gained my bearing and begin strolling back home. I took my cell phone out from my pocket. Flipping it open, I checked the bus schedule from my calendar. The earliest bus to arrive at Spaceland was at 12:20.

I looked at my watch. I was 11:10. I was supposed to be there in ten minutes and I wasn't even ready yet. "Kuso," I swore. Stuffing my cell back into my pocket, I raced home as fast as legs would take me.

0o0o0

**At the Bus Stop **

I made it in time as the bus #124 rolled to a complete stop in front of me. I hopped on as the door slid open. There were some empty seats in the back. I chose the window seat farthest from the door.

Walking down the aisle, I scooted inside, placed my bags on the seat beside me and sat by the window. The bus started moving again. I liked that the public bus transit system was free for everyone. By just following their schedule and they could take me just about anywhere in Tokyo.

I stretched out my arms above me and settled back down again. I pulled out a manga from my bag and continued where I left off, completing ignoring the world passing me by as the bus headed to Spaceland.

The bus was peaceful and quiet inside. There weren't that many people coming. The bus made another stop as two…no, three teenagers waited outside. I got a better look when they got on the bus.

A young light brown haired guy walked ahead of the others. He looked kinda cute. He seemed to be talking to the shorter dark hair girl behind him, followed by a guy in what I can only describe as cosplay.

Yeah, it had to be a costume. The Cosplayer was taller than the ceiling; he had to slouch down a little to get in. I wouldn't doubt that he worked at Spaceland on a scary ride since he looked creepy. Or maybe there was a costume competition later today. I don't know but think he would win. He looked realistic enough anyway.

A man in a trench coat got inside at the last second as the bus started moving. He quickly looked around and trailed the young kids in front of him. They started walking to the back of the bus.

"Minako-chan is applying to M. University." Said the dark haired girl as she sat down in the second-to-last row window seat.

"Really?" The boy replied causally when he sat down next to the girl. The man in the trench coat down behind them and across from me.

The Cosplayer, on the other hand, just stood up in the back of the bus. For a moment, I thought he wanted me to move my stuff so he could set down but he didn't say anything; he wasn't even paying attention to me.

I frowned, disregarding their conversation and went back to reading my manga. The minutes rolled by as we traveled on. Unluckily for us, it wasn't going to stay that way.

The bus made another stop then went on its way. I turned a page just as I heard someone yell out. "This bus has just been hijacked, ladies and gentleman!" A few screams could be heard in the front. "Anybody makes a sound or move of any kind; I blow their damn head off!" My head immediately shot up at this.

A greasy looking man was in front of the bus aiming a gun at the bus driver. I tensed up and dropped my book on the floor. I was too scared to pick it up. All my attention was on the man with the gun. I begin to shake uncontrollability, gripping the head rest in front of me.

The gunman told the driver to call Spaceland and tell them what has happened. Suddenly, the gunman seized the phone from the driver. He, then, pointed the gun toward the back. He ordered Spaceland to take all the money made yesterday and deliver the money to him by a woman in a car. We were now being held hostage by a madman.

I heard the greasy man snigger as he turned off the phone. Everything became still and silent inside the bus. I struggled to remain calm as I waited for something….anything to happen.

"Don't. It's too dangerous. Let **me** take care of that." The man in the trench coat whispered. I looked in their direction. He was talking to the cute guy in front of him. "It's okay, if we keep our voices down. He won't hear us over the noise of the bus."

The brown haired boy glanced behind him. "I don't mean to rude, but you have a slight accent. You aren't Japanese, are you?" He asked in a soft, calm tone.

"No, I'm American. My mother's Japanese, though." The trench coat man replied.

"Do you have anything that will prove to me that you aren't the hijacker's accomplice?" The boy asked, surprising both me and the trench coat man. I now looked to the trench coat man in suspicion.

"A.. accomplice?" The young girl shuddered.

"It's pretty common practice. They make you think there's only one guy, but actually he has an accomplice in the back to keep watch and come to the rescue if something happens…" He explained to the girl beside him. "Well, do you?"

The man looked astonished. He reached into his coat and pulled out an FBI badge. "You want proof? Here." He handed it over to the boy.

_FBI! What?_ I thought as my face paled. _I shouldn't have the cops on my tail. He's not after me, is he?_

"Okay, I trust you. And right now I won't ask why an FBI Agent is on board this bus," The boy handed the badge back to the FBI Agent. "Got a gun?"

"Yes, I do"

"So you'll take care of it if something happens?"

"Yes."

Some moments had passed; then the boy accidentally dropped a piece of paper on the floor. He bent over to pick it up.

"Hey, you! Hold it!! What's that paper?!" The hijacker came running up to us. He bent over and picked up the paper. "Ya little smartass, passin' notes and tryin' to plan something, are ya?" He opened the note.

"What's this, where you were meeting your date?" The hijacker tossed the paper, walking back to the front. "Drop something again, I'll shoot ya!"

He turned back around to us. "And that goes for all of y'all. Anybody makes a move, I'm gonna…" The gunman stopped a moment, his eyes wide. "WH…WHAT THE HELL?!!! YOU…IN THE BACK THERE, YOU…" Everyone stiffed straight as the man waved gun with wild eyes. I backed as far into the seat as I could.

"MONSTER, YOU… HOW LONG YOU BEEN THERE?" Screamed the mad gunman. I glanced beside me. I forgot all about the Cosplayer who stood in the middle of the aisle. How could anyone not see him? _Oh_. The thought hit me. _He is dead._

"Hmm? You talking to me? You can see me?" Asked the dead Cosplayer in disbelief. That confirmed it. Only me and, apparently, the gunman could see him.

"DON'T… DON'T MOVE, JUST STAY RIGHT THERE….OR I'LL SHOOT..!" Shrieked the frightened gunman, now holding the gun with both hands.

"He's on PCP or something. He's hallucinating..." The FBI agent yelled ordering everyone to get down. Someone had screamed up front. I crouched down to the floor on my hands and knees, my arms covering my head. I could barely make out what was being said.

"Back…Stay back," He fired the first shot in quick recession with the second. Everyone screamed including the gunman. I rolled underneath the seat as fast as I could, taking the only cover I could find. Time appeared to stop.

"Sorry, dude. I'm a **Shinigami**, so that isn't going to kill me." I swore I heard that said before the gunman opened fire. Four loud shots had been fired as I desperately clamped my hands to my ears. I could hear him still trying to fire the gun with nothing in it.

"He's out of bullets!" Stated the FBI agent when he got out of his seat. The hijacker panicked, dropped his gun and dashed to the front of the bus. I crawled out from under the seat as the hijacker grabbed the driver, he ordered the driver to stop the bus.

The bus screeched to a halt. I had gotten up and walked to the other side to look out, avoiding the Shinigami completely. The man literally jumped out of the bus when the door opened and fallen out on the road like his life depended on it.

A car honked and slammed on the breaks. And then the last thing I heard was a disgusting squishy sound as the car drove past our window.

0o0o0

A/N: well I finally finished this chapter. I couldn't find a good stopping point so I kept writing and couldn't stop.this is my longest chapter. 3,620 words!!

I looked at my stats for the first chapter: 136 hits, 4 reviews, 1 fav, and 2 alerts!!

I'm so happy that some people read my fic. I like to think that the 132 people looked at this are the ones who could of reviewed but didn't. I need some feed back and I want your personally opinion.

For those who reviewed:

**Khairin**– you are my first reviewer. I hope you continue to read and review my story later on. THANK YOU!

**EYE-land**** – **1) yes, she can see ghosts. 2) I won't say just yet. But I will foreshadow what is to come. Thank you for asking questions!

**White Alchemist Taya**** – **just keep reading, you will see. I'm in the middle of college but I had to write this. Thank you for support!

**Miss Akinori-Chiyo Abarai**** – **that is a very long name, anyway, this is set in 2003. Naruto was big back then and I wanted to that in there. THANK YOU!!!!

I'll update as soon as I can. But remember if I get more reviews, I will work faster. Its kinda like giving Ryuk apples, you know, but without the handstands. Or maybe I'm just getting my hopes up.

-Mandy


	3. Page 3 : More than Coincidence

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, or a Death Note. I have 4 volumes of Death Note though and my OC,Suzuki Tsukiko.

0o0o0o0

Everything started with the bus hijacking. If I wasn't going to Spaceland, if didn't see the monster in the back of the bus, then I would have never been involved with the Kira case.

0o0o0o0

No More Mind Games

Chapter 3- More than coincidence

0o0o0o0

**December 20, 2003 – 11:45 (1 hour ago)**

**Inside the bus**

Cold. I was cold all around me. It was more of a numbing feeling as my hand touched the window. Pressing my face against the glass, I had to confirm something. I mean, why would a car suddenly stop unless it hit something.

And I'm positive that I heard a crash. It's not like I see accidents everyday or I get hijacked every other weekend. No, this was still a shock to me.

This was bad. And I knew I had to get out of there fast. Cops will be coming soon; they would question me for sure if I stay here. The last thing I need is to be on their radar. But my body didn't work as fast as my common sense.

I was still stuck on "There is dead body over there, right?" mode. But I had to _see_ if the hijacker really was dead. I forgot everything around me, the people beside me, the Shinigami in the back, even where I was.

I gawked at the supposed dead body that laid flat on its belly as a slow mist rose up in the air, a grayish color. Then again, ghosts always have looked like they have been drained of color. It gradually formed a human-like shape which, unsurprisingly, resembled the bus hijacker to the very last detail.

The hijacker's ghost stood above its body. His feet slowly became completely see through, giving off the impression that he was floating. The ghost started moving around his body, still trying to figure out what had happened to him. In his attempt to grab his body when he bent over, the ghost's gray hands went right through its back.

It was so preoccupied that it failed to notice the FBI Agent bend down to check his pulse. As the FBI Agent got back on his feet, the driver asked if the man was dead. I already knew the answer. The FBI Agent nodded. At this, the bus driver took off his hat to run a hand through his hair and sighed.

The driver then stepped off the bus to reach into his pocket and called in the accident. The agent stared at the body in disbelief and contraction. The man driving the car that hit the hijacker stepped out of the right hand side of the car, his hands placed on both sides of his face. I hoped he had some good insurance. The poor man was about to cry.

I felt a tap on my shoulder. I quickly turned around with a hand clamped on my mouth to keep me from screaming out loud. I noticed then I had trouble breathing. My eyes roamed around finding the guy, girl, and Shinigami, in spite of everything, still in the back of the bus.

"Are you alright?" The brown-haired boy questioned me. He seemed quite honest by the look in his eye like he really wanted to help me. I lowered my hand to my chest, taking deep breaths. This was really too much for my heart to handle.

"Yeah, I just need to catch my breath." I said to him with a weak smile. "That was quite a scare, huh?" He smiled back at me.

"Of course," The boy turned toward the girl. "Yuki, I'm going to check out the front. Stay back here." Yuki hasty nodded to head and sat back down.

I watched as he hurried up front exit and talk to the FBI Agent, the Shinigami hovered behind. I made my way back to my seat. Bending over to pick up my manga that I dropped, the boy came back to get Yuki. I slug my bags over my shoulders and made my way off the bus.

"I know we were all set to go to Spaceland, but after something as freaky as this…" The brown haired boy said to the girl, Yuki, as they progressed down the aisle.

Yuki seized his arm. "Are you kidding? We're almost there. We're going." She hugged him closer. Plus, who wants to be questioned by the cops?"

When the couple got off first, I noticed that as the Shinigami passed the ghost, the ghost yelled out in freight. He quickly got to his feet and started running across the highway, screaming "the monster is going to kill me" along the way. I don't think he even saw the cars go right through him as he ran like his life depended on it. Or more like his soul, now that he was dead.

I didn't see the FBI Agent anywhere but that was the least of my worries. The bus driver was still talking on the phone, his back turned away from me. The couple went off in the direction of Space land, the Shinigami following behind them.

The boy looked back at me and yelled, "You coming?" I shook my head. He gave me a warm smile and turned back around. They continued down the street, Yuki pulling on his arm. I snuck away in the opposite direction.

My attention went to the Shinigami that was haunting one of them. It must be the boy that it's following around. I never have seen a ghost like that. If it was a ghost at all. It didn't even look remotely human. Maybe it was a monster? What did it mean by calling itself "god of death" anyway?

I shook head to clear my thoughts. I didn't get involved anymore. I should consider myself lucky that it didn't bother me or hurt me. It was best to forget this all even happened. More importantly I needed to get as far away as possible.

I happen to pass a venting machine full of food and drinks. As if on cue, my stomach growled. I didn't eat anything this morning; I had planned to eat over at Space land.

Ordering a bento and Coke, I sat on a bench by some trees near a park.

Setting my lunch down, I pulled out my cell and dial for taxi service before setting down. Asking the taxi to pick me up at a street ahead, I started eating my lunch with the chopsticks that came with it. That gave me some time to calm down. I inattentively stared out around me, paying interest to anything unusual. I waited for any thing else to happened today.

By the time I was finished, the taxi arrived. Taxis may be expensive but I considered this an emergency. I hopped in and door closed on its own. I told the driver where to go then looked down at my watch. It was 12:45 and I was too tired to care anymore.

I shifted in my seat to get more comfortable, pressing my forehead on the window. As the world passed me by, I vowed to myself I won't by using the bus route for a long time.

I didn't even realize that I fell asleep on the way home.

0o0o0o0

Life must go on as they say. I have a life which is more than what I can say for some people. I had better things to do than mope around anyway. I spent the rest of my weekend at home doing nothing but chores and such. I was bored that I had nothing to do but study and work.

With school out, I spent more time studying for college entrance exams. I didn't understand most of the stuff considering it was too advanced for me. Physics and Calculus to name a few subjects. One thing I knew I would get top marks in was the English, Japanese, and French tests. I'm taking all of the language test that are offered.

I don't mean to brag but language is what I'm better at then anyone else I know. English being my native language; it is the most wide spread. At a young age, I found out when I was being taught at school that it was easier for me to learn my letters than the other kids my age at the time. I had found it amazing to write and read that I quickly became extremely obsessed.

Which was not good for my social skills; I had been known as a book worm in my childhood.

The more I read; the more I learned. Being a child, I still had the ability to absorb myself in understanding things quickly and remembering them. So I wanted to learn new languages and cultures: Spanish, French, German, Russian, and Japanese. Greek, Hebrew and Latin are some of the ancient languages that I know. I even had a phase where I was into Ancient Egyptian culture a few years ago.

But there was a catch: I could not spell. Sure, I had the memory to know a basic vocabulary of several languages but I could only remember the words as a whole, not in different letters that make the word. Spelling became harder as I grew up. It was annoying, honestly, but my memory to learn new words and not forget them grew.

I also used this new found ability to understand people or in my case dead people. That became my motivation for some time. I wanted to help these people but when I couldn't understand a word they spoke, I learn to.

I had learned Japanese simply to watch Anime and read Manga which I discovered in my earlier years at high school. I had come to the conclusion that "it was the coolest thing in the world". And I'm still in my Japanese Anime phase though I don't think it will go away any time soon. I even came to Japan in my last year of high school so I could gain more knowledge of it.

But I believe I just used that as an excuse.

What I really wanted was to get away from my real home. My family. It's something I don't like to talk about. When I think of my family, I get so angry and irritated but also sad.

But I changed all that. I came to Japan to get a new life, a new identity. I found a place to live near Tokyo. Hibiya High School was chosen for its availability at the last minute. I even got a job at a local bookstore. Living alone isn't so bad once you get used to being by yourself. Taking care of my new identity, I don't think anyone can find who I was.

Most of the money I have saved over the years will be going to whatever college chooses me. I want to go to the best college I can get. That why I'm be studying so hard over the next few weeks.

This week went by too fast. Between studying and my job, I haven't had the time to relax. And even though I told myself to not worry about the hijacking, it has been on my mind for some time.

Sometimes I can't get to sleep and my mind wonders over what happened last Saturday. Its like I know something happening around me but I don't know what.

0o0o0o0

**December 27, 2003 – 3:00**

**At Shinjuku station **

I sat at a table near a window inside the CAFEEL coffee shop after a long day of shopping. I got up early to catch any New Year's Day sales in Shinjuku. Not caring how much I spent, more than half a dozen store bags lay beside me.

As I stirred my chocolate sugar latte with a tiny straw, I watched as people moved around the subway station. I felt content just setting here waiting for my train to arrive. But looking toward the clock across the room, the train would be here soon.

Gathering my bags in both hands, I exited through the entrance of the café and walked to the ticket booth. I avoided bumping into people as much as I could. I saw the ticket center up ahead but a small child ran into to me, knocking my some of my bags to the floor.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, kid!" I yelled at the kid who didn't bother stopping to help me. My hat fell off my head.

He ran off and lost him in the crowd. I was too busy making sure my stuff didn't stepped on as I pick them off the floor. I put my hat back on.

I handed my ticket to the Ticketmaster when I got to the booth, gently dropping my bags beside me. I had asked him where my train was. He told me to take the Yamanote line until I see my stop; it was the one to the right. Picking up my purchases, I rambled over and boarded the train.

I wanted a seat close to the door way but all were taken excepted the corner seat next to the fire extinguisher. I put most of my belongings on the seat and above me before I sat down, exhausted from running.

It wasn't rush hour yet, or else I wouldn't be able to sit down like this. I took a look around. Some stood up holding on to a ring attached to the ceiling. Others were sitting down like me, reading or doing nothing.

One man was talking a cell phone and using a laptop at the same time. What a workaholic or…maybe a multi-tasker. What a second, he looks….familiar!

I turned my head directly beside me, the man sat across the other side of the door from me. He seemed tense for some reason. I couldn't see who he was from here. I took my cell phone out from my pocket. Surfing through the menus, I selected the camera mode.

Positioning the phone in-between some bags, I zoomed the camera phone to his face. I was right, he did look familiar…..he was that FBI Agent from the bus hijacking! I wonder he where he went to but to meet him here.

Was he really after me along? The bus jacking was just an accident but was he following me around all this time and I didn't know? What ever it was, I had to be careful. I pushed my hat down

The low battery symbol popped on the screen.

Aggravated, I shuffled through my bags and took out my newly brought laptop. Placing it on my lap, I lifted the computer screen and grabbed a cord from my purse to connect the phone to my laptop. The low battery symbol disappeared as I repositioned the camera to lay on some bags covered up, facing at the FBI Agent. I made sure no one could see the cord or the phone attached to my laptop.

I sat looking at my computer screen, not at him. I didn't want him to know I was spying on him. Especially if he was spying on me. Starting up my laptop, I controlled my phone from the computer. I then ordered the phone to record using the computer's memory. I watched a window pop up on the screen.

It showed him putting away his cell phone. He took some smaller envelopes out of a larger one. He turned his attention to his laptop and being typing away. This continued for some minutes. He stared at the screen for a moment then grabbed a small envelope and a pen. The FBI Agent started writing on them.

He would get suspicious of me if I sat here doing nothing. Minimizing the window recording the FBI Agent, I started playing Sudoku on my computer. I checked on him occasionally. Some time went by; he was still writing something down.

Suddenly he got up and put the envelope on the overhead rack above him. He sat back down and stared in front of him. I watched him for a while. He didn't move or anything for about half an hour.

The FBI Agent abruptly stood up and walked off the train when it stopped. I turned around to look out the window. He stopped in mid-step and clutched his chest, yelling. From what I could see, he fell to the ground, dropping his briefcase. He turned his head to the train door, yelling out something.

The door quickly closed shut and the train starting moving again. Before the train sped away, I saw grey mist rise from him.

That is when I knew the FBI Agent was dead.

A/N: hi. Here is another chapter for you all! Thank you to all my new reviewers!

Til next time.

-mandy


	4. Page 4 : Life Altering Decisions

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. Suzuki Tsukiko is mine, though, as well as the plot.

0o0o0o0

Everything started with the bus hijacking. If I wasn't going to Spaceland, if didn't see the monster in the back of the bus, then I would have never been involved with the Kira case.

0o0o0o0

No More Mind Games

Chapter 4- Life Altering Decisions

0o0o0o0

**December 27, 2003 – Saturday night rush hour At Shinjuku station **

My hands were super glued to the back of the seat. What just happened?

I came up with a blank. In fact, I wasn't thinking of anything for a while now. I just froze in this awkward position, staring out the window. The subway train sped faster than my eye could recognize whatever was out of the window. All I could comprehend were the dark colors and shapes blurring by, almost hypnotic like.

What the HELL just happened in front of me … again? This thing isn't going to be happening over again every weekend, is it? Am I cursed or something? Well, maybe that is too extreme. I would know if I was cursed. Not like I have been cursed before but this I didn't know. This didn't happen to me everyday.

I looked down at my hands which I was, at the moment, losing all feeling in. My knuckles were as white as (no pun intended) a ghost. I giggled at that thought. But it was a forced giggle, something that sounded not too far from a sob. I slowly unhinged my hands from the seat, watching them closely as they filled with color while I flexed them.

My knees and calves were staring to ache. That wasn't a surprise since I am setting on my legs. Now, I think my legs have fallen asleep but then again my whole body feels numb. I fidgeted a little in my awkward setting position until I realized that wasn't helping and I was looking like a dumb ass just seating here. People close to me on the train were beginning to stare in my direction.

Standing on one leg, I lost my balance, banging my shin on the seat. I turned and crashed down on my seat, hugging my now bruising leg to my chest, trying to rub out the pain. I almost started to cry but then I recognized where I was. I looked around the train, trying to find anyone that was acting like me who saw the incident.

Everyone was normal! They were standing up or seating down reading the newspaper like nothing happened. Was it normal for them to see someone collapse on a train and then go about their day? What the hell is wrong with these people? Do they not care or what? I was starting to get very angry.

A beep in the air sounded above my head.

"We are coming to the next stop. Please gather your belonging as you exit the train. Watch your step and thank you for choosing Tokyo Public Underground Subway." An electronic feminine voice spoke overhead. "Have a nice day."

I've been on this train too long. I was surprised no one noticed but that's how it is in the bigger cities, I guess. I really needed to get off this damn train.

"It's still on!" I whispered to myself when I looked at laptop beside me. It had tipped over to its side when I turned around but, miraculously, the laptop was still recording.

I balanced the laptop on my lap while reaching over my purchases to get the cell phone hidden on top of everything. I looked at the laptop screen as I held the cell phone. It recorded even the smallest movement including when I turned the camera on myself.

"I look like a wreck." I said softly with a small smile to the camera. Having had only a glimpse of my outward appearance, there was nothing I could do until I got out of here.

With that in mind, I promptly turned off both cell phone and laptop, putting the laptop back in its bag and stuffing my cell in my back pocket. I felt the train begin to slow as I collected my stuff.

The train had come to a stop. With a hiss, the door suddenly opened in front of me. Although, I was the first one off the train and into the overcrowded station, I had to turn to the side a bit to get off the train and walk through security.

I left the Shinjuku district early in hopes of missing rush hour. But, now, I had to deal with it.

Seeing as I am not good with crowds, I don't have the patience or self-control, for that matter, to handle the mass of people around me. Often, I start to get nervous and dizzy leading me to a panic attack. The main reason I don't like crowds is the dead people within it.

Normally, a person, excluding me, walks right through a soul or ghost. I don't think they even realize it; it depends on the person honestly. Others may feel cold or hot after experiencing such a thing. Some stop and yell in fright, looking around confused or bewildered but then go about their business. I, personally, never seen someone knock into a ghost causing them to both fall down to the ground then try their best to pretend like they tripped over their own two feet like me.

But now is not the time.

When I passed security, I went toward the nearest wall to get away from the masses, simply, because I couldn't run into anyone over there. Unless someone came through the wall with my back leaning against said wall and my bags clenching in my hands, I felt a little bit safer. I surveyed the room to claim some posture while stopping to catch my breath.

Two ghosts were to the left of me crouched by the wall, talking to one another while smoking. Don't know why they have cigarettes since they are dead. Maybe nicotine is still addictive in the afterlife. Or it's a habit like that old hag of my hometown library had told me when I asked her why she still was smoking as she knows she is dead. The librarian promptly named Ms. Reference (I called her old hag as a term of endearment in my part), who had died while trapped inside the library during a fire, was a nice ghost. In my opinion, anyway.

She was pleasant to talk to as long as you respected her library. And it was _her_ library; not in title but by haunt given that she died while working there. Anyone could notice her by the sudden drop of temperature when she walked into an aisle, even though they didn't know it was her. She protected her books and other library properties like a mother hen watching her chicks. So, the downtown library had the lowest theft or missing book rate in the county thanks to her constant stalking habits.

I know the reason why she has done this for the past 50 some-odd years. After getting to know her, she confined to me how she died. It was in the newspapers I researched that there had been a massive fire; no one could have survived the flames but the cause of the fire was unclear and remained so. But from what Ms. Reference has told me, I came up with an account of what really happened.

Ms. Reference had a long day that day before the fire. She had stayed up to catalog a section from PL to PS of the system that could not wait till tomorrow morning. Thus, she pulled an all nighter and had to work that next day for the opening of the new downtown library.

Everything had gone without a hitch but she reached her limit by closing time. Ms. Reference had then sat in her office, the first time that day, to relax. She poured herself a drink and lit up a cigarette. Inhaling a puff, she was proud of what she had done and was anxious for tomorrow. She wasn't aware of cigarette between her fingers as she dosed off to sleep.

The next thing she remembered was waking up to chaos. Gray smoke darkened the surrounding area where the library used to be. Ms. Reference had told me it took a long time before she was aware of the fact she was dead. Even now that old hag feels responsible for the library.

I guess that is why whenever I see a ghost smoking, I think of her.

_I feel calmer now. Weird._ I thought to myself as I had been staring at them, absentmindedly. _Oh, shit. They're looking at me. _I turned quickly around, hoping they would leave me alone. _All right! It's time to get going._

I blindly pushed through the crowd of people, trying my best to avoid ghosts. I forced my way to the front of the station, bumping and knocking people aside. As I passed through the automatic opening doors, I smacked into the chilly December wind, already missing the heat by the time I'm out the door.

Wait, this place looks familiar...really familiar. Where the hell am I?

I cranked my head back to see a big "Shinjuku Station" sign above me. _You got to be fucking kidding me...? _Honestly, I couldn't believe this shit. After all this trouble, I got nowhere. I am back to where I stared from. I think I'm going to cry; I'm so pissed.

I flagged down a taxi cab passing me by. I am, now, positive that taxis will be my only means of transportation by the end of the week since I'm banned from buses and currently the subway system, too. Or maybe I'm just being my normal paranoid self. Luckily, the cab stopped ahead of me.

I chucked all my bags across the backseat when the cab door flung open automatically, telling the driver my address as I sat down. We are heading toward the freeway which would take me clear across the other side of Tokyo.

0o0o0o0

I got home around 8 o'clock that night. Of course, the traffic should be considered illegal. I mean, it should not take 45 minutes to get on the highway and another 2 hours to get across Tokyo than pay for an over priced ride. But I had no choice; I wanted to go home bad.

As I took off my shoes at the entrance way, I wondered if I made the right choice by going home first or should I have gone to the police while I was in the taxi? That was bothering me the whole car ride. I made my way to my apartment.

I fished out my apartment key from my purse. Fumbling with getting the door to open, I finally felt safe as I heard the door click shut behind me. I sighed with relief.

"I'm home…but what am I supposed to do?" I whispered to myself.

0o0o0o0

**December 29, 2003 – Monday Night after Work at Tsukiko's apartment**

I haven't done anything wrong…by doing nothing. In fact, I have been avoiding the issue. Trying to ignore this pressure in the back of my head that is probably my conscience. Ignorance is bliss, as they say. I have decided, for now, that I am going to wait until this all blows over. The whole Kira thing, I mean.

It's too dangerous to go to the police when Kira is still around. I'll be put into their system when I don't want to and Kira could track me down and label me a criminal 'cause he/she thinks they're God and then I will be killed 'cause I _might_ have evidence against him/her. _Really_ dead like the people I see everyday.

I don't want to die. It's that simple. I'll just wait 'til L catches him/her then I'm in the green. But life isn't that easy. I tried to go back to everything being normal but…

_Stop it, Tsukiko! You have got to get it together. There is no point getting all paranoid and worked up about this. _I shook out the pessimistic thoughts. _Nobody is trying to kill you …yet. _

The night I got back home from what I call the "second incident", I, in all honesty, had a nervous breakdown where I cried most of the night and didn't get much sleep. I hid the laptop in the back of my closet under most of my clothes. And haven't touched it since, not even looked at the recording to find out what really happened. Maybe I don't wanna know. Curiosity killed the cat and, as stated above, I didn't want to be killed.

I used up Sunday to calm down and slept the whole day through. Though, I had planned to go see Lord of the Rings: Return of the King in the theaters that evening (It would have been hilarious to see it subbed in Japanese).

Life kept going on and I couldn't have stayed shut in my apartment. I had bills to pay, people to see, and a survival instinct to live properly. In a sense, I got over it and moved on. I already went back to work and completed the day without trouble. Everything was normal except the constant nagging in the back of my head.

Common sense would tell me to stop glancing at the closet every few moments and pay attention to the TV that was showing _Bleach _reruns at the moment. But I knew what was in there and what I was itching to get my hands on. My only-used-once laptop covered with clothes as I was too lazy to organize. I wanted to know if this shame was worth it.

That was it; I surrender to temptation. I got up to turn off _Bleach _since I lost the remote to the TV some time ago. Then, pulled out can of soda from the mini-fridge and walked over to my closet, sliding the door open. I pushed way my wardrobe to find the computer store bag carrying my laptop inside at the bottom of the pile.

Taking the laptop, I placed it in the middle of my dining table/desk, pulling the computer out of the bag. I plugged it into the wall socket and booted up the laptop. As I waited, I popped open the can and took a sip, then I realized that the window was wide open. Anyone walking by could see me!

I hurried over to close the window before someone walked down the street. Luckily, no one was out there this time of the night as I stuck my head out the window. I slid the window shut and locked it, closing the curtains as I walked back to the table.

The computer was done by the time I sat back down. I skimmed through some menus 'til I got the right camera application. I saw the file had a couple of gigs worth of footage and clicked it because it was the only file in the computer window.

The screen automatically popped up another window that looked like the Japanese equivalent of _Windows Media Player_. The starting frame of the FBI Agent on the subway was pictured on the screen. I looked to the time frame of the actual recording; it was about almost two hours of video. I didn't know I had that much to look through. This was going to take forever.

I pressed play and made the video full screen on the laptop. I continued to watch about ten minutes of the FBI Agent typing away on his computer until I decided this was going to take too long. Don't get me wrong, I was really focusing on him and his movements. But it got real boring, real fast. And I remembered that I had watched him at this time. So, this part had to be the same.

I had watched the FBI Agent until he got off the subway while I was on watching with the same computer. Scrolling the seek adjuster bar, I viewed the last few moments as he got off the train, then the camera jerked and repositioned itself at a wide angle that suggested that I had bumped my cell phone when I watched the FBI Agent die outside the train. But apparently at the same time as I moved to get a better view of the FBI Agent, someone had moved into the camera's view.

The angle of the camera didn't help me figure out who that was. All I saw was a person in a white sports/jogger suit but the head was cut off the screen. That same person stood for a moment than turned and walked down to the other side of the train and out to another train.

I fasted forwarded 'til the end of the tape. Pretty much nothing happened afterward except when I turned the camera on me. But that could be edited out later if need be. It seemed surreal to watch it happen again; to relive the experience. If I go to the police right now, I could give them this video and let them sort everything out without me being involved.

Maybe I could send this in the mail to them. Burn a CD with the video on it, then put the CD in an envelope, making sure I didn't leave any fingerprints or hair inside, and travel to another city like Kyoto and ship it to National Police Agency Building in Tokyo. And no one would be the wiser.

Except no one would understand what really happened. And what if the package doesn't make it to the Kira case? It's not like I can write in big letters on the package: **Evidence Against Kira, Please Look!**

Unless I write a letter explaining what happened …but that would further pull me into suspicion because I am hiding myself from the police like Kira. It would probably be treated as a bomb treat and everyone will come across it the wrong way. The police might think I'm a terrorist like Kira.

Or worse, L might think I'm Kira! Oh, Crap. I'm in serious trouble … if this gets out.

I have been absentmindedly staring at the wall in front of me until I realized I needed to stop daydreaming about my certain doom. I abruptly stood up and grabbed my laptop, turning off the computer and unplugged the charger. Throwing the closet door open, I placed my laptop on the floor and covered it with random clothes, making sure nobody could find it. I felt a little bit safer for now.

It was getting late and I have work in the morning. So, I got ready for bed by laying out the futon. After turning off the overhead light, I quickly got under the covers and slowly fell asleep. But my dreams were filled with blood and subways.

0o0o0o0

**December 31, 2003 – Wednesday Evening At A Shinto Temple**

I'm so happy that I have a job even if it pays low, about 900 yen an hour (around $7.50 USD). It was expensive living near Tokyo and working part time while paying for school. But now I work full time at the bookshop until I go to collage.

I work at a little bookshop in the community around my apartment. It's surrounded by other small shops like food stalls and clothes vendors that support the district. And it's only a few streets away from my home. So, I never had to travel that far when I got home from high school.

Plus, I get employee discounts on all store property. If any new books that were coming out, I could put on layaway and have first grabs at if my boss said it was okay. There are plenty of books in English and other languages besides Japanese. The work wasn't too hard and I am pretty good at it as well.

Basically, I stock up all the shelves, make sure everything is clean from the counter to the floor and, on the occasion, work the cash register if nobody is on hand. I couldn't quite understand the bookshop's catalog system at first but after a few weeks I got the hang of it. I must say I cheated a little bit.

Half way through my trainee training, I relied heavily on my _ItemFinder_ technique (_This is an ability that I either say what I want to find or think of it inside my head and a spark of light flashes where the object is or in the direction of in my line of sight_) to keep up with my boss. That's probably why my organizational skills are good. Well, this is my first job and I wasn't going to lose it to my sloppiness.

My boss isn't that bad either; he is the owner of the store. Like most of the retailers on this street and around the area, these are run by a family that has own the store for generations. Sometimes when the work load is too much for the parents and there kids are away at collage that they hire help.

That was the case for me, anyway. Besides, today is a national holiday. I asked my boss for today and tomorrow off and would go back to work on Friday. When he said yes, I was ecstatic; this was my first Japanese New Year's. It is considered the biggest festival in Japan and that is saying something since everyday is a festival day somewhere.

Last weekend, I had bought a long-sleeved kimono and obi for this event. The kimono was light lavender that faded to a darker lilac at the bottom and in was accented with a floral design on the sleeves. The obi was a navy blue that matched. It takes at least two people to put on the kimono, so, I had asked one of my neighbors if they could help me. In return, I gave her some omochi (rice cakes) and sake that was made this time of the year. Not to brag but I think I look cute in this.

I had made my way towards many temples in and around Tokyo. I lost count of my sixth visit but I was slowly getting the hang of this. It wasn't too surprising to see hundreds of people gathered around a mikoshi (portable shrine) on the streets or see people walking around in kimono while walking to a temple. It was like the whole nation was having one big party!

I had enough of walking in this geta (clogs) all day long. I swear I was getting blisters from just standing here waiting to ring a bell and give an offering to God. I've seen just about all I need to know of temples and I know I broke too many Japanese customs to get away with it.

I fell into a natural temple going pattern of entering pass the torii, cleanse the spirit before come in the main shrine, ring a bell, throw a few yen, say a prayer and then leave. I can say that I now know the difference between a Shinto temple and a Buddhist temple. This is going to be my last temple.

Finally I was able to reach the bell. Pulling on the bell's rope, I pulled down hard, making sure my bell echoed through the shrine. I quickly tossed in a 500 yen coin and clapped my hands twice as if all that noise couldn't get God's attention.

_Please, Lord, this is the same as all the temple prayers. I am praying to God, not a fox. Just wanted to make that clear. _I prayed, pressing both my hands together. _Please, protect me from harm and let me get into a good college. Amen._

As I turned to walk out, a priestess had gathered a group across the room. I walked over there with intent to find out why. In back of the priestess, there was a wall full of tiny drawers.

"Come here for your fortune!" The priestess shouted loudly so she could be heard. "Take this," She lifted up a metal cylinder shaped tube above her head. "And shake it while thinking of your future and pull out the number on the fortune stick. Then," She followed the wall of drawer, not even looking away from the crowd. "Find your number on a drawer and pull out your fortune!"

"Now, you try." The priestess smiled at me as she placed the cylinder tube in my hands. I did want she demonstrated and pulled out a Popsicle stick with the numbers 5634 written. As I searched my numbers, the priestess followed me. Pulling out a small drawer that was thankfully in the middle, I picked of a piece of paper and thanked the priestess as I walked away from the crowd behind me. I found some space near a lantern as I read this message that was in English, my eyebrows shot up:

"Some things are too good to last,

Others you must work hard for.

Keep your mind clear and your heart pure.

The path comes at a crossroads,

Choose your true judgment in strife.

Your heart is your life."

I gripped the paper so tight that it was shaking badly. I really wanted to stay and see the fireworks but I, then, decided that it would be better if I go home. I felt a sudden change of heart.

0o0o0o0

**January 1, 2004 – Thursday Afternoon – 1:00**

My original plan was to place an anonymous tip. I stood up all night coming up with a plan I was pretty proud of. But I forgot two important things: 1) I needed sleep prior to my mission and almost slept through it and 2) You can't work on an empty stomach. Those requirements had to be met before the mission or you will wake up disoriented and hungry.

The idea was to ride a taxi to the other side of the city. Drop off at a public place then walk a couple blocks and find the nearest pay phone. Leave my tip to the police, hail a cab back home and be done by dinnertime. Simple as that.

As it turns out, no one answers the freaking phone anymore. Everything was going as planned but the freaking NPA put me on hold. I really didn't expect that the first time so I went through the steps again. By the fifth try, I gave up. I got a busy tone, an answering machine, and got hung up twice. Let's just say I wasn't pleased with their customer service.

Which is why I made another stupid decision to take it in myself. Didn't someone say if you need to get the job done right, do it yourself. Well, this seemed to be the case.

I had asked the taxi driver to take me a few blocks from the NPA because I don't take buses and the subway for a reason nowadays. I would walk the rest of the way which I'm doing now. I had all my evidence to prove my story: my laptop, my cell phone, even a newspaper clipping of the Busjacker, Kiichiro Osoreda's, death. But was it enough?

I could see the front of the building ahead and I slowed down a bit. My anxiety started to kick in and make me dizzy. I had to seat down somewhere and found a small stone bench to seat on. I dropped my purse and bag carrying my laptop beside me.

I had my back facing the building as I positioned myself so no one could identify me if they walked out the front doors. Vaguely, I watched the flow of traffic without really focusing on anything particular. Funny how it seems so normal out here with the snow on the ground and my breath dissolving into the air. Well, it is January now and the forecast said on and off chance of snow. But I wasn't shivering from the cold.

Wrapping my coat closer to keep warm, I had to move around before I really started to freeze. Not looking where I'm going, my feet led me to the front doors of the NPA building. I didn't realize I was there until I grabbed the door handle and stopped myself short. What if this is a big mistake? What if everything went horrible wrong like Kira found out my real name, thus, connecting my family's names, killing them off and finally killing me?

_Yes, that seemed very unlikely but it could happen. I mean that I could be signed my own death warrant if I walk through these doors?_ I reasoned with myself. Taking a few steps away from the doors, I leaned on a pillar for support as I tried to think. It had started to snow after a while but I didn't become aware of it.

"Your heart is your life." I whispered to myself. I had thought the fortune had meant that I should follow my heart and it would decide my fate. Instead of me being so cowardly and not facing my fears; look where it has gotten me.

Half because I was scared and half because of snow falling on me, I started feeling numb and couldn't feel my toes. All I did was gawk at that stupid door handle like I could open the door with my mind. I can't do that; I'm not that good. Suddenly, I heard a yell behind me that almost gave me a heart attack.

"I said, do you need help, ma'am?" I turned around as I heard that question directed at me. Folding up his umbrella and shaking off the melted snow, I got a good look at his face. He wore a damp three piece suit with a dark tie. It seemed to me like either he was having a bad hair day or his hair was naturally an afro. He had thick eyebrows, Asian eyes, a big nose and grin plastered on his face. I couldn't help but be flattered when he opened the door for me.

I blinked, forgetting where I was. "Thank You." I said to the man as he tucked his umbrella under his arm and walked passed him into the NPA. Clutching my things to me, I realized there was no going back and headed for the reception desk.

Walking straight into trouble isn't the most intelligent thing to do.

0o0o0o0

A/N: YAY!!! I finished this chapter but you all will have to forgive my tardiness but some thing in my life had to come first!

I wrote a little over 5,000 words. My biggest chapter yet. I promise you all that this story does have a beginning, a middle, and an end. It will take some time to get it done but stay with me here.

For updates on how the story is going check out my blog at:

Send me a comment if you want!

I have to thank my reviewers:

**-Asa-Hoshi-, ****M a i r 9 5 1 2****11, moonlight-shadow11****, Adorkable93****, fanXforever****, katanbuilder3****, pinguina****, White Alchemist Taya, ****Ryuuzaki-hugs, ****Passe on an Angel****, Shininghope of RiverClan** and all the people who read my story and put it on their favorites and alerts.

THANK YOU!

- Mandy


End file.
